Gunshot Detection

Overview#

When a shooting happens in a residential neighbourhood at 2 AM, no one may call it in. The acoustic sensors already have. Within seconds the system has triangulated the location, classified the weapon type, counted the shots, and pushed a CAD entry to dispatch with coordinates and an error radius. Officers are responding with precise location data before any 911 call arrives, and the nearby PTZ camera has already slewed to the incident address.

Argus Gunshot Detection delivers real-time acoustic sensing and automated emergency response for law enforcement agencies, military forces, schools, hospitals, transit systems, and corporate campuses. Distributed acoustic sensor networks with advanced machine learning classifiers provide multi-sensor triangulation through bearing intersection and time-difference-of-arrival analysis for precise geolocation. Automatic camera integration, incident correlation with crime patterns, and AI-powered false positive reduction mean the platform acts quickly and accurately when it matters most.

The majority of gunfire incidents go unreported. Acoustic detection ensures law enforcement and military operators are aware of every gunfire event, building the intelligence foundation for violence reduction strategies while enabling rapid response.

Diagram

flowchart LR
    A[Acoustic Sensors] --> D[Detection and Classification Engine]
    D --> E[Triangulation Engine]
    D --> F[ML Classifier]
    E --> G[Incident Location]
    F --> G
    G --> H[CAD Auto-Dispatch]
    G --> I[PTZ Camera Activation]
    G --> J[Evidence Package]
    H --> K[Responding Officers]

Last Reviewed: 2026-04-02 Last Updated: 2026-04-14

Key Features#

Detection and Triangulation#

High detection accuracy across urban noise environments with low false positive rate
Sub-60 second notification from acoustic detection to dispatcher with automatic CAD integration
Multi-sensor bearing intersection using weighted least-squares solving for precise geolocation from two or more sensors
Time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA) triangulation with iterative Gauss-Newton refinement for higher-precision positioning from three or more sensors
Automatic method selection between bearing intersection and TDOA based on available sensor count and timing data
Shooter classification distinguishing single versus multiple shooters, weapon types, and firing patterns
Indoor and outdoor detection capability with environment-specific acoustic modeling
Caliber estimation from spectral analysis of muzzle blast frequency, mapping peak frequency bands to caliber ranges (5.56mm through 20mm+)
Shot counting from temporal burst patterns with configurable inter-shot gap thresholds
False positive reduction through machine learning trained on local environmental noise patterns
AI verification using seismic, radar, and camera confirmation to reduce nuisance alerts

Military-Grade Acoustic Classification#

Military-specific acoustic classifiers for artillery fire and impact, mortar fire and impact, rocket launch and impact, and explosive events (IED, grenade, heavy ordnance)
Drone detection and classification distinguishing multirotor, fixed-wing, and loitering munition platforms by rotor frequency signature
Vehicle acoustic profiling for tracked, wheeled, and heavy vehicle identification
Enhanced classification using spectral and temporal cues to refine detections beyond baseline audio classifiers
Frequency-band analysis separating artillery (20-200 Hz), mortar (80-400 Hz), and rocket (150-800 Hz) signatures
Weapon type mapping from acoustic classification to operational categories: small arms, machine gun, artillery, mortar, rocket launcher, IED

Sensor Network Management#

Sensor registration and lifecycle management with hardware type, firmware version, and deployment tracking
Configurable sensor parameters including sample rate, sensitivity, detection range, and microphone count
Sensor health monitoring with heartbeat tracking, automated diagnostics, and maintenance alerting
Coverage zone planning with configurable sensor counts and detection range modeling
Network statistics and aggregated sensor status for operational oversight
Per-sensor bearing capability tracking to determine triangulation eligibility

Camera and Evidence Integration#

Automatic PTZ camera slewing and fixed camera footage retrieval at incident locations
Automatic recording of acoustic signatures, camera footage, and sensor telemetry for forensic analysis
Evidence package generation combining audio, video, and sensor data with timestamps and geolocation
Shot count and weapon classification data for forensic and investigative use
Audio signature analysis enabling comparison across multiple shooting incidents

Alerting and Notification#

Community safety alerts with push notifications to mobile officers, schools, and businesses in affected zones
Tiered notification routing based on incident severity, location, and organizational protocols
Automated lockdown triggers for schools, hospitals, and secured facilities within blast zones
Real-time officer safety alerts for units operating near detected gunfire locations
Public notification integration for community awareness and shelter-in-place guidance
Patrol deployment optimization using detection data to inform resource allocation decisions

Analytics#

Pattern analysis identifying recurring shooting locations, times, and correlations with crime trends
Historical shooting pattern analysis for resource deployment and violence intervention planning
Privacy-protective design with audio buffering triggered only by gunshot detection, not continuous recording
Coverage mapping showing sensor network detection zones and potential gap areas
Deployment planning tools for optimizing sensor placement based on historical shooting data
Community engagement reporting demonstrating gunshot detection impact on public safety
Inter-agency data sharing enabling regional shooting pattern analysis across jurisdictions

Use Cases#

Real-Time Gunfire Response. Detect gunshots instantly, triangulate the precise location using bearing intersection or TDOA, automatically dispatch officers with coordinates and error radius estimates, and slew nearby cameras to capture evidence, all within seconds of the incident. Enable rapid response even when no witness calls are received.

Shooting Pattern Analysis. Analyse historical gunfire data to identify hotspot locations, temporal patterns, and correlations with gang territories or crime trends, informing resource deployment and violence intervention strategies.

Evidence Collection. Automatically preserve acoustic recordings, camera footage, and sensor data from gunshot events, creating forensic-quality evidence packages with timestamps and geolocation for investigation and prosecution. Support crime scene reconstruction with precise shot timing, shot count, caliber estimation, and location data.

Campus and Facility Protection. Deploy gunshot detection in schools, hospitals, transit systems, and corporate campuses for immediate threat detection with automated lockdown notifications, first responder dispatch, and real-time situational awareness for security personnel.

Military and Defence Operations. Classify incoming fire by weapon type (artillery, mortar, rocket, small arms) and estimate origin coordinates through multi-sensor triangulation, feeding results into the operational picture for counter-battery response and force protection. Detect and classify drone and vehicle acoustic signatures for perimeter security and early warning.

Integration#

Connects with CAD and dispatch systems for automatic incident creation and unit dispatch
Integrates with video management systems for automatic camera activation and footage retrieval
Links to crime analysis and CompStat platforms for pattern analysis and resource planning
Emits triangulated positions and classifications to the Argus operational picture for common operating environment display
Works with officer mobile devices for real-time alerts and situational awareness
Supports export of detection data for investigation and prosecution workflows
Compatible with mass notification systems for community and facility alerting
Feeds into gunfire intelligence databases for regional shooting trend analysis
Correlation with crime camera networks for automatic evidence capture at incident locations
Seasonal analysis adjusting detection sensitivity for periods with increased firework activity
Supports regional data sharing for cross-jurisdictional shooting pattern analysis
Neo4j graph replication for relationship analysis between sensors, detections, and incidents

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